Notes: You know what they say about the best laid plans... Kinda like how I delayed posting this next chappie cause RL got in the way. (FCBD, Avengers movie, a date, a birthday party...) Apologies for the delay!

Reina Grayson: The way I figure it is, since Batman is busy with lots of other things, Superman decided that 'if you want something done, you've got to do it yourself.'

Mirror's Mirage: Damian learned from the best lol. And yeah, one way to defeat an enemy is to treat them nicely and somehow gain their loyalty hehehe.

Dextra2 and Bethlovesall: All will be revealed in chapter 17 ;) Well okay, not all.

jayfeather63: Hey, your not reviewing every chapter doesn't bother me at all. Take care of yourself first, y'hear? And Robin ain't the only one feeling that way, you'll see in chapter 17 ;)

He was searching the base for his brother - Grayson shouldn't be taking so long playing with his friend - when the call came in.

"Well, it took some doing but, here we are!" The voice slithered through the base's speakers like a slimy eel.

Damian's eyebrow twitched in annoyance and he stomped all the way to the briefing room, knowing that Grayson's team would follow soon enough. The briefing room was dark, only lit with the glow of an open screen. The face on the screen was lean, smooth-skinned, with full lips and long lashes. His eyes were bright green - too bright to be natural.

"Just so you know," the man on the screen continued, "this is being broadcast through all known JLA frequencies. There's no need to ask me who my source is because I'm not telling."

"What's going on?" Kid Flash burst in, followed by the rest of Grayson's team. Damian glanced back and recognized his brother standing just behind Aqualad, strangely quiet but alert. Something must have happened between his brother and the speedster. What it was, Damian planned to find out later.

Before anyone could speak, another screen lit up, drawing everyone's attention to the newcomer: Batman.

"Who are you and what do you want." The hero demanded, his transmission coming from the Batcave and filtered through Mount Justice's system. Damian could hear the slight noise of the bats in the background.

"Well!" The man on the screen clapped his hands in delight. Damian suppressed a twitch of annoyance at the man's lilting giggle. It sounded like a cross between hyenas laughing and crickets shrieking. "Direct to the point! I like that! Alright since you asked so nicely," the man leaned forward, the screen showing his gleaming white teeth. Right then, Damian decided to hate him. "I want a match. One on one."

"With whom?"

The man grinned wider. "Your youngest. Robin."

Damian decided to hate the man even more.

But Batman's answer was prompt and expected. "No."

The man threw back his head and laughed his irritating, obnoxious laugh. If he wasn't on a screen, Damian would have thrown a dagger at him. "I knew you'd say that. That's why I came prepared," the man brought up his hand, holding a vial of yellow liquid. "I have here my latest breakthrough: the Marividae virus. It closely resembles the marburgvirus only this is more potent and," his grin widened, "it's airborne. I've sent agents to three of the most populated areas in New York to hide three virus canisters. The canisters are set on a timer that will release the virus unless I send the abort-command.

"You have forty-eight hours for Robin to find where I am." The man continued, ignoring the horrified gasps and angry threats coming from Grayson's team. "I'll even give you a clue: you may call me, the Games Master. I'll be seeing you soon, Boy Wonder!" The man gave a jaunty wave and the screen blinked out.

Hatred was such a deficient word. The man deserves to be exterminated and burnt and his ashes scattered over the ocean for his irritating self.

Batman immediately directed his attention to the team. "None of you are to leave the Cave. The JLA will handle this. Stay. Put."

And the hero's screen winked out.

"Deja vu or what." Kid Flash muttered.

"Or what," Robin answered, already busy tapping into the holographic keyboard he summoned in the briefing room. "This isn't like Cadmus. Batman really wants us to stay put."

" 'Us'?" Artemis repeated. "Or just you?"

"It's not like I wanted to be targeted in the first place!" Robin complained, still tapping commands into the computer. "And I hate being left behind just as much as you do."

"But that is what we will do." Aqualad stepped up to place a hand on Robin's shoulder. "This 'Games Master' has specifically stated that he wants you, Robin. And that is something we will not take lightly."

Robin spun to face him and the rest of his team, throwing off his leader's hand at the same time. "So you're all going to keep me here? You're all going to be on babysitting duty?" He crossed his arms.

"We have no choice, Robin. We do not want any harm-"

"Harm, smarm. We're superheroes! We get harmed all the time!"

"Sure, but we don't really go around looking to get hurt," Artemis spoke up. "Because that's just, y'know, masochistic."

"Hey, I'm not-"

"T-t. Pathetic." Damian snorted. Clearly this team could hardly do anything if they were wont to argue frequently. "Robin does not need your overbearing presence to know he is not to be following this Games Master's demands. It would be foolish to give in to such menial orders."

Grayson's team stared at him for a moment before turning to give a pointed look at Robin, who sputtered in protest.

"What? You think I'm going to ninja my way out of here to face this guy?"

"No offense, Robin," Miss Martian said gently, "but you have been doing it a lot."

Robin groaned and conceded defeat. "But this time, I wasn't planning on sneaking out." He offered. "I was planning on tracking the guy's signal and maybe point the League in the right direction."

"And to do so will require you to stay within reach of this Cave's systems." Damian finished for him.

"Exactly."

"So," Kid Flash asked, "You're not really going to go off on your own?"

Robin shook his head. "Why should I? I've got enough to keep me busy here for hours."

"Hello Megan!" Miss Martian exclaimed with a slap to her forehead. "I'll bake you some brownies then!" And she flew off towards the kitchen area.

"I'll be your taste-tester!" Kid Flash sped off after her.

Artemis snorted and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to my room."

The rest of the team similarly left soon after, leaving Damian alone with his brother. He watched the older boy's progress through the multiple firewalls and bouncing satellite signals for a few moments before quietly leaving the room. The League may be able to find and keep the Games Master's canisters from releasing the virus, but a time limit of forty eight hours in a search range such as New York City can be a challenging task.

Not to mention, this Games Master might still be able to flee the clutches of the League if he could command such resources as breaking into League frequencies, hiring agents on a possible suicide mission, and custom-make his own biological weapon. It is an expensive ploy, but a ploy nonetheless for purposes unknown. But the only target so far has been Robin.

Clearly, something had to be done.